ABSTRACT

Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of intravitreal antibiotic injection (IOAI) and pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in postoperative endophthalmitis.

Methods:

One hundred and thirty eyes of 130 patients who had the diagnosis of postoperative endophthalmitis between April 2001-January 2009 were included in the study. We performed pars plana vitrectomyin all patients with initial visual acuity of light perception.Eyes with visual acuity of hand motion or better underwent either intravitreal antibiotic injection or pars plana vitrectomy.

Results:

The patients’ mean follow up time was 8.62 months (1 week to 48 months). Mean age was 65 (18-85) years. One hundred and three of 130 patients (79.2%) had acute endophtalmitis; 27 cases (20.8%) were lateonset endophthalmitis. We performed primary PPV in 27 patients (20.76%) who had initial visual acuity of light perception. Twenty-eight patients (27.2%) who had initial visual acuity hand motion or better underwent primary PPV, the remaining 75 patients (72.8%) underwent primary IOAI.

Conclusion:

In postoperative endophthalmitis intravitreal antibiotic injection or primary PPV should be made on an urgent basis depending on the severity of clinical presentation in order to salvage vision.Pars plana vitrectomy may be preferable to IOAI in postoperative endophthalmitis since the rate of early reintervention is lower with initial PPV.